Place to Call Home
by PunctuationPoint
Summary: For years, Clementine had been searching for a place to call home. After being rescued by a group of kids living in a boarding school nearby, she realizes that she's finally found one, only for it to come under threat by someone she never thought she'd see again. (Sequel to Living In A World Of Fiction)
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Y'know, I never thought I'd finally be able to come back to writing anything based off of Living In A World of Fiction again, but here we are! I've been sitting on this idea since Episode 1 of The Final Season came out, and the new season just felt like the perfect place to pick back up the story I'd been telling in LIAWOF.  
**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: Now this story _is_ acting as a sequel to Living In A World Of Fiction, but I'm hoping to make the story accessible enough that you don't have to read the original to get into it ('cause that story is a godawful mess of quality that I'm not that entirely proud of). For those of you that read this story instead of LIAWOF, I'll toss a few things here to get you up to speed on what the series is about. We follow an OC named Dominic, who had played The Walking Dead for the first time just prior to being thrown into the world, with the knowledge of what happens in it (through Season 2). Later on, there's a semi-crossover with Life is Strange, mainly in the fact there's time-travel-esque powers involved (because the story was written before LiS 2 came out, so Max's rewind powers were the only thing I had to base things off of from that universe), which'll still be included in this sequel, but will be a bit more subdued, to make things less over-the-top. Still, you should expect a Sci-Fi element to the story, 'cause yeah :P**

**Anyway, most everything else you'll need to know will be told through the characters' eyes, so let's get started, shall we?**

* * *

_Day 3040, Night_

Darkened blood covered his hands as the blade ripped apart rotting flesh, twisting the knife in a circle until the walker's head detached from its body. Dominic threw it to the ground next to its corpse, wiping the clumps of deep crimson liquid onto whatever remnants of clothing the cadaver had left. He pushed himself to his feet, looking over towards his friend as he finished up his own kill, mimicking his own actions.

That was two more. The dead population seemed to be increasing the further they drew to their destination. Dom sighed, sheathing his blade. He ran a hand through his thin beard, coming back with even more blood on his hands. He flicked it off his fingers.

"That asshole better be alive after all this," he muttered, receiving a hasty nod in response. "We were meant to be at the target right now. Dealing with the kid."

"You're the one that picked him to go on this fucking thing," Steve replied as if it were obvious, his British accent only bristling at Dom's nerves further. He adjusted his glasses, blue eyes meeting Dom's in a bored glance. "He's a time-bomb, Dominic. What'd you expect?"

"To follow orders," Dom replied evenly, frowning.

It had been _eight years_ since he found himself in this infernal place. A world filled with the dead, and only a miniscule amount of the living. Eight years since playing The Walking Dead for the first time and waking up here. That life he had before, it felt more like a dream. A fantasy his teenage self concocted to cope with the shit thrown at him in this new world. Except it wasn't a dream, and neither were the years he spent here. They were real, visceral, horrors that left him feeling somewhere between numb and terrified. Sometimes both. Yet today, he felt more _irritated_ than anything else.

The road stretched on ahead, obscured from the moon by the canopies of trees overhead, while crickets chirped incessantly. The air was cool, near ready to turn into a metaphorical freezer in the coming weeks. Hopefully by then, they'll be back home, where the temperature wouldn't get colder than fifty. It was better than freezing up here, like they'd nearly done a dozen times since this whole thing began.

"I mean, he's a solid twenty years older than you." Steve said, clutching his rifle as they continued down the road. "You expect him to listen?"

"I'm in charge of the mission, aren't I?" Dom deadpanned, casting his friend a sour frown. They'd been with this crew for a few years now, yet it felt that what little respect he'd managed to get with them hardly amounted to anything. A couple years away from thirty, and still being treated like a kid. Guess some things never change.

"Look, just calm down. Jesus," was Steve's response, rolling his eyes. "Maybe he got caught up. Fuck knows. Now stop bitching for five minutes and let's just find him."

Begrudgingly, Dom let it go, holding his own rifle close to his chest. Steve was his oldest friend, the only one he still had left from before. Before his old group fell apart, and before they found themselves in this hellhole. With time, he learned how to handle Steve's assholeish ways, though maybe that was just because he was starting to become the same way. Life on the road'll do that to you.

The road grew quiet as they trudged onwards, eventually fading altogether, until another sound, as familiar as the crickets, began to fade in. Searching moans and guttural growls, a herd of decent size. Dom gestured for Steve to head for the woods, following him. The trees eventually stopped at the edge of a property, a place surrounded by overturned train cars and metal fences. The walkers were scattered throughout the train yard, wandering, while a few others were busy bashing their hands against the building placed in the middle. Dom narrowed his eyes, peering through the scope of his rifle.

"I count twenty. At least a dozen already dead."

"Manageable," Steve replied calmly, looking through his own scope. "Pick 'em off, or go in quiet?"

"We don't wanna alert others in the area," Dom stated, lowering his rifle. "Get the ones near the perimeter. We'll work our way in. Maybe that asshole got himself into a bit of a bind and locked himself in the train station." At least, it was the only leading theory he had at the moment. There wasn't anything else for miles, besides wherever the kid was from, and they were close enough to hear the gunshots if they had to fight their way out. They couldn't blow their cover.

Steve nodded, letting his rifle hang behind him while grabbing his knife. Dom followed suit, putting a few feet in between them as they approached the only entrance into the yard, between two overturned train cars.

It was easy enough dispatching the dead on the outskirts; the amount of times they'd done this before, it was like clockwork, systematic. Even the cold feeling of their blood felt familiar after this long. It took five minutes to clear the yard, leaving Dom panting while holding himself up by the railing on the stairs. His blue eyes found Steve as he approached, already climbing up to the porch.

"Should've brought swords for this," Dom said, chuckling breathlessly. "They have a blacksmith back home, don't they?"

That elicited a dry laugh from his friend, who glanced at him with a smirk. "You're living in a fantasy, man."

"Alright, guess I'll just… not put some distance between me and the dead," Dom replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Always liked the fact I'm on a menu somewhere."

"They don't have a menu," Steve reminded him with a shake of his head, amusement in his voice. "They just eat everything."

"Except _your_ ass," Dom threw in, laughing as Steve stared him down with an indignant look, though the moment wouldn't last long. They were here for a reason, after all.

Steve was the first to reach the door to the train station, trying the knob. It twisted just fine, but something on the other side kept the door from swinging inward. Further proof that someone was hiding out inside. Steve waved him over.

"Push on a count of three," he started, and Dom just nodded, placing his shoulder against the door. After reaching three, they slammed against the door, breathing a sigh of relief as whatever was on the other side fell to the ground with a resounding thud. The door inched open, just enough for them to slip through.

The interior was ransacked, useless shit strewn everywhere. A table was knocked over in the corner, broken plates and silverware littering the ground beside it. A click of a gun forced him to look away, though, towards the source of the noise. He was met with an unfortunately familiar face, old and grizzled, with stubble masking his unsavory features. What caught Dom's eye, though, was the stained red bandages covering what used to be his left arm, cut down to barely a stub. His mouth was contorted into an angry expression, though it lightened up the instant he recognized who the two men were.

"The fuck took you so long?" He asked, voice gruff yet weak. _Guess losing a limb took it out of him._

Dom looked him over, lowering his knife. "You get bit?"

"No, I just cut my own arm off for fun," he growled, taking a few steps forward, into the waiting area. "Thought I'd have myself a _feast_."

Dom ignored the comment, instead examining the wound, then Abel's face. He definitely looked pale, but that could've been attributed to the amount of blood he probably lost. They'd need to cauterize the wound soon, just to make sure he wouldn't end up dead anyway. The least of their worries was if he'd turn if he bled out.

"What the hell happened?" That was the next question that he had, but it was Steve who asked it, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall. "You were supposed to be back at the boat hours ago."

Abel grabbed a chair, setting it in the middle of the room before plopping down in it. "Some of those kids were out here, makin' a lotta noise. Some bitch and her kid pushed me out the window back there, into a pack of walkers. Got away."

_So, they were out here?_ Dom found himself thinking, frowning. That was a bold move, even for Marlon. Last time they were out here, they took the twins for the war effort, and hadn't seen him since. Probably kept his people confined to avoid another interaction, which was smart. Now they were making mistakes, showing their cards before they knew what they were up against. And, to top it all off, attacked one of his men.

He let out a sigh, pacing the room. This couldn't go unpunished. The mission still had to happen. If they came back to the Delta empty handed…

He opened his eyes, fists clenching. "Steve, get him back to the boat."

"Fuck that, we should-" Abel started, but Dom cut him off with a narrowed stare.

"You're not making it back if you go on a crusade against these kids tonight. Get back, get some rest. I'll track 'em down. Now get your ass in gear, or we'll just leave you here." Abel opened his mouth to retort, but the eye roll he received from Steve left him silent. Finally, he was doing something right.

Steve took in a deep breath, patting Dom's shoulder as he passed him. "Don't wear yourself out. We'll need you tomorrow, too."

"Yeah," he breathed. "Thanks."

Silently, the two men filed out of the room, back into the yard. Dom followed, eyes searching the area. It was obvious that there was a _lot_ of stuff they could use here. Construction supplies, mostly. Stuff that'd help with making the Delta even safer, which made this mission even more worth the trouble. And with Abel losing a limb, maybe it'll finally get easier to keep him in line. After all, that put him at a disadvantage, one that Dom would be all too ready to take advantage of.

They left the train station without a word, leaving Dom alone inside the train yard. He examined the area, then looked towards the exit once more, where a crashed muscle car laid vacant down the road, overturned. Hardly salvageable, and not worth the time.

He headed back inside, sauntering towards the back room that Abel had come from earlier. Inside, he found the charred remains of a ticket booth, and evidence that someone had lived here before. A blackened mattress, empty cans strewn across desks and the floor. A trap door was left open in the middle of the room, and he bent down to peer into it. Broken glass and melted beans littered the dirt. Probably a stash that caught on fire – or blew up, based on the marks across the walls of the ticket booth. The window was shattered at the far end of the room, covered in a thin sheen of blood. He concentrated on that detail, hoping to be brought back to the moment it ended up there.

It'd been a while since he used his powers, and the feeling of a migraine coming on was all too difficult to endure. He was rusty at it, as if that part of his brain had been left to shrink from disuse, but given how exhausting the process was, he didn't have much of a choice but to use it sparingly.

Eventually, white silhouettes began to take shape around him, like ghosts appearing from some ethereal plane. They appeared like nothing more than wisps of fog shaped into humans, whatever detail that could've been deciphered muddled until they were unrecognizable.

A girl stood near the window, short in stature – about to his shoulders – and wearing what appeared to be a baseball hat. Inside the trap door was another kid, probably only tall enough to reach his waist, with a massive afro. 'The bitch and her kid', he recalled. His eyes then found who must've been Abel, being pulled out of the window by at least a dozen hands. His mouth was open in a scream.

"_You piece of shit!"_

He disappeared out the window, pulled down by the group of walkers that had attacked him. Dom swiveled around as footsteps tapped against the wooden floor behind him, finding another silhouette running through the open door. She was slightly taller than the other girl, panic evident in her tone.

"_What the fuck?!"_

"_Just take a bag and fill it up!" _The other girl replied in a calm voice, bending down to help the youngest kid gather some jar-like objects and stuff them into a bag. Her voice sounded familiar, like a long-lost memory jogging at the back of his brain, yet he couldn't quite place it.

He watched their panicked movements as they stuffed everything they could into the bags, rushing towards the door he'd just entered not too long ago. They kicked it open, rushing outside. Above, standing on top of a train car, was a taller boy, who appeared to be wearing a coat and sporting some dreadlocks. Guess that was the last kid out on this little 'expedition'. Hat Girl called out for him to run as walkers converged on their location, the same ones that he and Steve had killed not too long ago.

By the time they'd reached the exit, Dom was already there, watching as the boy asked about what had happened inside the train station, only for the second girl to cut him off. Seemed like Hat Girl was the leader of this outfit, the way both of them followed her. Definitely not Marlon, but someone just as respected. She was worth recruiting, far more than the twins had ever been.

They ran for the woods, dissipating as Dom let the memory fade, clenching his eyes shut as the migraine strengthened, threatening to bring him to his knees. But at least he knew which way they'd ran off to. It was a start.

So, with a pained sigh, he staggered forward, finally managing to smile. "Alright Marlon, time to see where you've been hiding all this time."


	2. On the Road Again

**Author's Notes: Sorry about how long this took, time hasn't been on my side these past couple months D: Still, we're back, and I promise that updates will happen quicker, now that I've finally got time to dedicate to writing it :)**

* * *

_Day 3041, Morning_

Clementine dreaded waking up that morning. Last night, she dreamed about what happened with Marlon, about AJ putting a bullet in the back of his head, as if her brain didn't want her to forget it. Because it knew consequences were on the way; it was only a matter of time. The faint smell of coffee wafted through her dorm, causing her to slowly inch her eyes open. She lifted her head, sitting up, before glancing over at AJ's bunk across the room, finding it empty. Another turn of the head revealed him with a knee on the ground next to their portable heater. When he noticed her movements, he stood up, cradling an old coffee cup in his hands.

"Made you some coffee," he announced quietly, timidly. Maybe they both knew what today would bring. His gaze fell to the cup as he approached, stuttering. "It was in the kitchen. Tenn said that I could have some. I didn't steal it."

She wouldn't have accused him of that anyway, but it was nice to get the reassurance. After last night, she felt like she was walking on eggshells around him, trying to determine the best approach to handle the 'Marlon situation'. She knew what she had to say about it, but… well, in the heat of the moment, she'd said something _very_ different.

She accepted the cup earnestly, savoring its warmth as she took a sip. It'd been so long since they'd last made it, that little sip was more than enough to send a jolt of energy through her body, despite how stale it tasted. She managed to smile nonetheless, letting out a satisfied breath.

"I'm surprised you remember how to make it," she said, her smile fading only slightly. "We haven't had coffee in a long time."

He raised an eyebrow. "You put it in hot water," he deadpanned.

_Guess it's not that difficult to start with…_ She smiled once more, cradling the cup as she let her feet dangle off the edge of the bed. "You're right," she admitted. "Thanks."

As she took another sip, AJ held his left arm awkwardly, continuing in a quiet voice. "Last night, with Marlon?" She lowered the cup, taking in a deep breath. "I heard Louis, and… and what he called me."

_Yeah… you did. _She found herself thinking, cringing at the thought. His eyes fell to the floor between them, face falling, and she found herself wanting to reach out for him, to comfort him, but what was that going to accomplish?

Finally, he spoke up, his brown eyes connecting with hers, searching for an answer they both already knew. "Am I a murderer?"

_Thunder rumbled in the distance as Clementine stared at Marlon's body on the ground. Blood covered her face in warm smudges, though it wasn't as sickening as it had once been. Still, the shock of what had just happened was more than enough to leave her feeling sick to her stomach, her eyes lurching towards Louis as he took a step forward, shouting "No!"_

_Omar was next, looking as frightened as the rest of them while he screamed "Oh my god!"_

"_We could get medicine. From the nurse's office." Ruby was the first one to actually say anything, but it wasn't anything that'd help. Mitch was the one to voice that out loud, stating that AJ had blown Marlon's brains out. _

_What was she supposed to do? She was going to give him a chance to stay, to try and make up for the shit he'd done, but… __**fuck**__. This situation was only getting worse, and as Louis turned his attention to AJ, her heartbeat accelerated._

"_You shot him," he breathed, exasperated. "He's __**dead**__. You're a murderer." That was when he swiveled back towards her, the exasperation turning into desperation. "You promised Marlon! You said you'd help him fix things! What the fuck did you teach this kid?!"_

She never taught him to kill like that. Never wanted him to take a _human_ life unless it was absolutely necessary. They'd gotten by on the road without it, but places like this, places with walls and people, they always ended up the same way. With someone dying. With things falling apart. Her teachings had always focused on the dead, on killing monsters that were irredeemable, already dead. She should've known that he might apply that same principle to the _living_ eventually.

"Louis called me a murderer," AJ continued. "But… but we're supposed to kill bad stuff. Monsters?" He paused, looking at her again, for guidance. "Did I do it bad? I thought Marlon was bad."

She took in a deep breath, wishing that she didn't have to have this conversation with him. Wishing that she'd just kept driving past that train station and never found this place, because at least then AJ wouldn't have had to kill anyone, and they wouldn't be on the verge of being kicked out anyway.

"_You should never enjoy killing, no matter what. There's always a better solution, the problem is __**finding**__ it. This world just… makes you do the most eff'd up things to survive, and I don't want you to have to go through that. I don't want you to become a killer, too."_

Yet she did become a killer, because that's how you survived. That's how you kept the people you love safe. And now that she was in that same position, of wanting to shield AJ from having to do the same thing, she finally realized the weight of carrying that burden. You can't keep blood off of someone's hands forever; eventually, this world found a way of forcing it on you. That still didn't make what AJ did to Marlon _right_, no matter how much she wanted to tell him otherwise.

"Louis was right," she started. "Sometimes people do bad things, like Marlon did. But when you shot him, he wasn't a threat to us anymore." She could practically see AJ deflating, the weight of that action now bearing down on him too. She hated to see it. "If you kill someone when they're no longer threatening you, that's murder," she finished tersely.

AJ turned away then, heading over to his bunk on the other side of the room. His voice sounded lost, dejected. She hated that too. "What are we gonna do?"

_Silence filled the air between thunderous booms; all eyes were converging towards her and AJ, and Mitch noticeably clenched his fists. Violet was the first one to move, and Clementine found herself lurching forward, ready to stop her if she intended to harm AJ, but instead, she lifted her meat cleaver, pointing it towards the rest of the group._

"_Back off! All of you!"_

_Louis took a step forward. "You talked Marlon down, and then they fucking __**murdered**__ him!"_

_Mitch was staring at her now, eyes narrowing. She stared back, daring him to try anything, and hoping to whatever god was out there that he didn't. Before he could, though, Violet directed her voice towards Clementine._

"_Take AJ, go inside."_

_She wasn't going to argue._

"_Come on, let's go." She went to grab AJ's shoulder._

"_Oh, just let them go back to the dorms?!" Louis shouted, astonished. Clementine turned to give him a glare, holding AJ behind her, which he only responded to by continuing in a bitter tone. "What happens the next time one of us does something this kid doesn't like? Should we expect a bullet, too?"_

"_That's not what happened!" Violet argued._

"_It's exactly what happened!" Louis spat back. "It was over, 'til little Mr. Trigger-Happy decided otherwise!"_

_Louis just didn't know when to back down, did he? She never wanted any of this. Never wanted Brody to get her head bashed in with Marlon's flashlight. Never wanted to put her down with it after she turned. Never wanted Marlon to die. This place was supposed to be their second chance, a chance at not having to sleep with one eye open in a car that was gonna run out of gas sooner or later. With how everyone was acting, they probably thought they'd __**planned**__ this. She was getting sick of it, of listening to them berate AJ and her, acting as if __**they**__ were the bad guys here._

"_Marlon started this!" She shouted, closing the distance between her and Louis with furrowed eyebrows. "He killed Brody and almost got me, too! AJ did what he had to do!"_

"_What he had to?" Louis scoffed. "He didn't have to shoot Marlon in the fucking skull! It was over!"_

_Violet put herself between them, sighing. "We get it, Louis, just back off, okay?"_

"_Back off? Seriously?!"_

_Clementine was done with this. She looked towards AJ behind her, ushering him towards the dorms. "Let's go."_

"Clem?" AJ's voice brought her out of the memory. He stood near his bunk, running a finger over his others timidly. "If I'm a murderer, am I gonna die, too?"

"What?" She asked, shocked that he'd even think that. "No." After everything they'd been through, everything she'd done to keep him safe since he was born, she'd fight tooth and nail to make sure he'd make it. He was only six, younger than she'd been when the apocalypse started, and had gone through so much worse at a far younger age. He deserved to have something better, something this place would've offered them, but she'd rather die than let _him._

"Well, I think murderers are like monsters, and…" AJ trailed off, looking towards the floor. "I know what happens to monsters."

_Yeah, but you're not a monster. _She wanted to say that so badly. To make him feel like everything was okay. But it wasn't, was it? Murder was still murder. He still did what he did. Now they had to live with the consequences.

"We can forgive them," she said, hoping wholeheartedly that was true. When was the last time she forgave a murderer? Lee? Dom? Was it really the same for Lee, though? She wanted to believe it, for AJ's sake. She took in a deep breath. "Murderers, even some monsters, they get a second chance."

AJ tilted his head at that. "Some monsters? But not all?"

"When bad people," Clem began to explain, scratching at her arm lightly, "like murderers, try to make it right, that's when other people forgive them."

She'd met so many of them since the beginning, yet only a few ever tried to do the right thing. Some had gained her respect through their actions, and others, admiration. Most never made it past distrust. But, the kids here'll see that AJ was just a kid, and maybe then they'll finally forgive him.

For AJ, though, he seemed skeptical, raising an eyebrow. "That sounds hard."

"It is," she admitted softly, mouth falling into a frown. She patted the spot next to her on the bed, continuing with a sigh. "We're going to fix this, you and me. I'm going to help you atone."

He took the spot next to her, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "A–tone?"

"It means… to make up for what you did wrong." She put an arm around him, hugging him close. "We'll make it all right with the others," she breathed.

_The storm continued to rage as the remaining survivors of Ericson circled around Marlon's corpse. Ruby had been the first one to act, trying to drag the body out of the courtyard, to no avail. She called out for anyone to help her, while Clementine ushered AJ towards the dorms, only to be stopped by the looming figure of Mitch. His long, black hair accentuated just how pissed off he was._

"_Saved you from that car wreck, and you fucking murdered him?!"_

_Clem's eyes narrowed, practically challenging him to make a move. Either he got out of her way, or she'd push past him. "Get back, Mitch," she growled._

"_Get. Back," AJ chimed in, his grip on the pistol noticeably tightening._

_Mitch scoffed, pulling out his knife and holding it in Clem's direction. She took a step back, if only to ensure he wouldn't slice her throat right then and there. "Or what?" He retorted. "You gonna let him kill me, too? Then who's next? Aasim? Willy?"_

"_Haven't enough people died tonight?!" She shouted, shaking her head furiously. Why couldn't he get it through his thick fucking skull that she never wanted __**any**__ of this to happen? "Brody, Marlon… we can't keep killing each other!"_

"_How the fuck are you saying that to me after what he did?" Disdain etched into his furrowed eyebrows and menacing scowl. He pocketed his knife, turning away with a shake of his head. "Screw both of you."_

This situation was only going to get worse, Clementine realized. People like Mitch, they weren't easy to win back. Even worse, they were dangerous. Grief often turned the nicest people into monsters, and Mitch wasn't exactly a saint to begin with.

No matter what, though, she wouldn't let any of them hurt AJ.

"I love you, Clem." AJ brought her out of her thoughts, causing her to close her eyes in order to hold back a tear that threatened to burst out. With how this day was going, and how hard it was going to be on AJ, hearing that comforted her more than she thought possible.

"I love you back."

She hugged him close then, but a knock at the door cut her efforts short. She sat up straight just as the door opened, revealing a concerned Tenn walking in.

"Hey," he called out to them, clutching a notebook carefully against his stomach. "Violet said to come get you for the funeral."

Clementine raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the offer. They still do funerals? _And_ they wanted them there? She answered the offer with a tentative "Really?"

"We used to have them more," Tenn explained. "Then we stopped. It seems right, though." He turned towards AJ, pulling out a toy firefighter. The same one they'd fought over the day before, Clem recognized. "I brought you something," he continued softly.

AJ looked between the toy and Tenn cautiously, like a kid who'd been caught trying to steal candy. "...For me?" He asked, his voice trailing off.

"I figured you'd be afraid, with everyone all upset," Tenn continued, a small smile crossing his mouth. "But… you were brave last night. Like a firefighter."

AJ considered that for a moment, before eventually pushing Tenn's hand away lightly. "No, firefighters are good. I'm a murderer." The discouragement in his voice twisted at Clem's heart, causing her to frown. This wasn't exactly what she'd wanted for him, but… what else could she say? He felt bad now, but maybe that's what he needed to atone.

"No, you're not," Tenn replied defensively, huffing in disbelief. "You gotta have a trial first. They decide that stuff in a courtroom." _Except there's no courtrooms anymore,_ Clem found herself thinking. AJ glanced towards her with a raised eyebrow and a questioning gaze. "That's how it works. Er, _worked. _Before." Tenn tried to explain, stumbling over his words. "Back then, there were all kinds of rules. About who was innocent, who was guilty. It was complicated."

"We have to decide things for ourselves, now," Clementine added. With the world from before gone, and no adults around… "We can't rely on other people to make the rules for us."

Tenn gave her the briefest of glances before turning back towards AJ, frowning. "Who decided you're a murderer?"

"Clem," AJ said softly, casting his eyes downward. "But she's right," he continued. "So's everyone else."

Although it was obvious that Tenn didn't share that sentiment, he still managed to chuckle lightly. "I think you're okay." AJ smiled at that, and in turn, so did Clem. Tenn was a good kid. Quiet, and a bit naïve, but he reminded her of what it was like to be younger. To see the world in a positive light despite the shit that went on in it. For a while, AJ had been that positive light for her, and she wanted to protect him from that, for as long as she could. From feeling the same way she did. That's why she was so desperate for this place to work out, to finally have a _home_.

They'd just have to see if they were still here by the end of the day.

Tenn held the firefighter toy in his hand, looking down at it before asking, "You sure you don't want your firefighter?"

"You should keep him, 'cause you're good, like him," AJ said with a small smile. In that moment, Clem was proud of him, of trying to do the right thing, and only smiled with him as he continued quietly. "But… maybe we could play with him later? Together?"

Tenn smiled back, nodding. "Sure. After the funeral." He turned towards Clementine. "They buried them already. Vi'll start it soon." With that, he headed for the door, stopping once he pulled it open. "See you out there."

Once the door shut behind him, Clementine sighed. "This is going to be hard," she said, looking towards AJ with a hardened jaw. "Everyone's going to be upset. We need to show them that we care, okay?" Her voice grew stern, something that she always hated doing to AJ, but right now, they needed to get their act together. They weren't going to win over everyone immediately, but they had to _try._

AJ looked towards the ground; eyes closed as he took in a breath. "Okay."

That was all she needed. Standing up, she reached for her cup of coffee on the dresser, taking a deep swig of it. Maybe the extra energy would make this entire thing more bearable. She set it back down, heading for the door slowly, before looking back at AJ with a sigh.

"You ready?"

He nodded solemnly, following her out.

* * *

The air was noticeably cooler outside, to match the mood surrounding Ericson's Boarding School for Troubled Youth that day. Luckily for Clementine, she hadn't really run into anyone yet, though as AJ and her stepped outside, she noticed them convened by the graves, talking amongst themselves, just barely loud enough for her to discern a couple words here and there.

_Well, here goes…_

AJ stopped as they crossed the courtyard, near the puddle of blood. The look he gave her was one that she wished she never had to see, lips tugged down into a sad frown as his eyebrows drooped.

He took in a deep, shuddering breath. "I did that…" His voice cracked, in disbelief. Clementine was, too, but at the same time… well, she'd taught him a little too well, didn't she? And not nearly well enough.

She ushered him past the puddle, and towards the graveyard. They stopped about ten feet away from everyone else, in silent hope that giving them the space they need would keep things civil. Aasim was the first to glance in her direction, sighing.

"Oh God, they're here."

Violet shot him a narrowed look. "So what? They knew Brody, didn't they?"

"Yeah, but Marlon-" Omar began.

"Just leave them alone," Violet snapped, probably hoping that'd be the end of it. Clem knew it wouldn't be; it never was.

Louis was standing beyond them, looking towards the ground while biting his lip. _"Shit."_ Clementine gave him a passing look before moving on. If he wanted to hold a grudge against them, then she wasn't about to feed it. There was still hope of fixing this. She hoped, anyway.

As more mutterings floated through the yard, AJ tugged at her arm, looking towards her. "Clem?"

She met his gaze, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Why do people have funerals?" He asked, returning his attention towards the group amassed in front of them. "Tenn said they used to have them more. But, I don't get it."

Clementine sighed, eyes lingering on the crowd before returning to AJ. "Well, to say goodbye to someone you've lost."

"But they're dead," he raised an eyebrow, which didn't really surprise Clementine. The idea behind funerals was built around a _living_ society, where the dead were buried or rotted away, but in this world, the dead stayed with you. Millions of them still roam the country after eight years, and who knew what things were like in other countries. Maybe worse. Funerals, by comparison, felt silly.

Still, they were a nice sentiment.

"This is your last chance to see them before they're gone forever," Clementine explained, hoping that AJ would understand. He seemed to, lowering his gaze towards the ground.

"I made them all sad. Like… if someone took you away." he piped up quietly. That one hurt, yet AJ didn't leave her a chance to really dwell on it, thankfully, instead moving on to another question. "Does everyone get a funeral?"

"People do. Some animals, too."

"Even monsters?"

_Here we go._ "Marlon did bad, but he wasn't a monster." He was just… not cut out for being a leader. Weak. At least, that's how Carver would've put it. He was more willing to protect himself than others, and that was his weakness. Terrible leader? Sure. Monster? Well… Maybe.

"I know," AJ replied softly, eyes trailing the crowd ahead of them as Violet turned towards Tenn.

"Tenn, you ready?"

The younger boy approached the graves in slow steps, holding a sheet of paper. "Brody," he said, looking towards her grave. "You always said you wanted to go to the beach, so I drew it for you." He set the paper down, against a pile of rocks. On it, the boy's art style depicted a beach with a sandcastle and a bucket, some palm trees, and a pair of dolphins surfacing in the water. He took a step back, returning to the crowd with his head hung low.

Violet was next to approach the graves, taking in a deep breath. "Marlon was…" She trailed off, sighing. She closed her eyes, opening them as she turned back towards the group, grimacing. "I can't. Not for Marlon. After what he did to the twins and Brody, I-"

"You didn't even like Brody!" Willy accused, eyebrows furrowing in anger. "You were always mean to her."

That took Violet off-guard, her eyes widening in response. After a second, she shook her head, returning to her spot in the crowd. "I can't. Someone else do it."

Mitch shot her a vile look, his voice hushed yet crystal clear in the silence that followed her statement. "Bitch."

"Dude, don't," Louis said, shaking his head.

"Seriously, Louis? He was your best friend," Mitch shot back. "He wasn't perfect, but he deserved better than to be gunned down by that kid. AJ killed him like it was _nothing._ We all saw it, and no one stopped him."

"You're right, Mitch," Clementine said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Marlon didn't deserve what AJ did to him."

AJ approached them slowly, rubbing his fingers together as he tried to keep looking towards the group staring at him. "I know what I did," he said. "I'm sorry. I know I'm a murderer. But I'm gonna a… a…"

"Atone," Clementine corrected him.

"Yeah, atone it."

Louis shook his head, letting out a sigh. "Fuck, I can't listen to this." He moved through the crowd, heading back to the school. Clementine watched him go, frowning.

She understood where Louis was coming from, of course, but that didn't make it feel any better. Out of everyone they'd met here, Louis had been the nicest. Granted, she found his friendliness to be annoying sometimes, but she preferred it a hundredfold over bitter, angry Louis. None of them wanted what happened to happen, especially not Clementine, and seeing him resent her and AJ this way, it only made her angrier.

Actions had consequences, though, so she supposed that she shouldn't be surprised.

"What I did was bad," AJ continued, "and I'm gonna make it up to you. I promise."

"You don't have to make up shit!" Violet shouted, staring down the other kids that turned towards her. "Marlon was a fucking _murderer_, and a _liar_, and if we'd all asked more questions about Minnie and Sophie disappearing last year, _**none**_ of this would've happened!"

Silence followed her words, until Aasim piped up. "She's got a point."

"Shut up!" Willy growled. "It wasn't Marlon's fault."

"Violet's right," Clementine added, taking a step forward. "You all share responsibility for what happened to Sophie and Minnie. And to Brody." Marlon had been a coward, protecting himself, and now _they_ were paying the price for it. It didn't matter who's fault it was now, Marlon was dead, and they still had a mess to clean up. Sitting here arguing wasn't going to solve anything.

"And what about Marlon?" Mitch asked, crossing his arms across his chest as he glared at her. "Who's responsible for that?"

AJ's face fell, his voice quiet as he said, "Me."

"See what I mean?" He continued, looking towards the rest of the group. "How can any of us trust these fucking people?"

Violet's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying they gotta fuckin' go," Mitch spat. _What?_ He couldn't be serious. They're just gonna kick them out? "We take a vote," he continued. "Majority decides. They stay, or they leave. _**Today.**__"_

"That does seem fair," Ruby said, which made Clementine turn towards her incredulously.

"Are you serious? It's bullshit," Aasim shot back, shaking head.

Okay, now this was getting out of control. "Please, don't do this," she begged. "I know you're angry, but we-"

"You don't know shit. If you did, you would've stopped AJ." Mitch looked towards the others expectantly, waiting for someone else to argue against his idea. She desperately hoped someone would, but instead all she got was Aasim shouting out, "like you stopped Marlon from killing Brody? Fucking hypocrite."

"A vote's the only way to settle this," Omar added, frowning. Guess she should've known the boy would've tried to back the easiest solution. "Or we'll be arguing forever."

Violet sighed bitterly, looking towards Clementine. "Fine. I guess we're fucking voting." She turned back towards the group, looking at Tenn. "Louis needs to vote. Could you go get him? And… try to talk to him."

Tenn nodded, looking towards where Rosie sat atop Marlon's grave. "Come on, Rosie," he called, clapping his hands together. "Come here, girl." She just growled in response, not moving from her spot. In the end, he left alone, heading towards the dorms.

As he walked away, Violet turned her attention back to Clementine and AJ, face softening. "Could you guys go wait in the dorm? I'll come get you."

Clementine nodded, pulling AJ away, but he stopped midway to the main courtyard, turning back. "Please don't kick us out," he begged, and Clementine put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, let's go."

Silence filled the air as they left the graveyard. Something told her that AJ's plea would be for nothing. They'd already decided.

* * *

**Boom.**

_Clementine watched in horror as Lee held Lilly against the side of the van. Dom's unconscious body laid on the ground, where Carley and Kenny struggled to pick him up and take him into the vehicle._

**Boom.**

"_You're not coming with us," Lee seethed, letting go of Lilly as he took a step back. Clementine couldn't believe that she did that. She just… shot at him. She knew that she was trying to shoot Carley, but even that just didn't make sense to her. Why would she do that? She knew they were arguing, but shooting someone because of that was stupid. Beyond stupid._

**Boom.**

"_I'm a murderer? Lee's been with you this entire time!" Lilly shouted, though Kenny didn't seem to really care. They all knew by now, one way or another._

**Boom.**

_As Clementine settled into a seat at the back of the RV, she couldn't take her eyes off of Dom. Lee put an arm around her, speaking softly. "He's going to be okay. Katjaa patched him up."_

_She wasn't sure if she believed him._

**Boom.**

Clementine's gaze swiveled towards where AJ had been kicking the wall for the past five minutes, letting her legs stretch out from where she'd been holding them close against her chest. "AJ, stop," she snapped. "You'll break your toe or something."

He didn't stop, his foot crashing against the side of the wall hard enough to emit a plume of dust. She frowned, patting the spot next to her.

"Come here, sit down."

"No!" AJ shouted, only then stopping to take a breath, turning towards her with angry eyes. "I – It didn't work! I did what you said, and they didn't even care!" He shook his head bitterly. "I know that I was bad, but-but they don't wanna let me fix it!"

"AJ, breathe," she reminded him. "Remember what we do when we're mad?"

He kicked the wall again, ignoring her.

"C'mon, you don't wanna be loud, do you?" She asked. "What do we do when we're mad?"

He stopped, taking in a breath. Clementine watched, hoping that she'd finally got through to him. "We stop, and think, and um…" He trailed off, turning towards her. "I'm still _really, really _mad." He paced near the desk. "I know that I'm not supposed to get mad. Or sad. Because, then I do dumb things."

"And you have every reason to be upset," she said. "We'll deal with it together. Okay?"

AJ took in a deep breath, finally seeming to come around. "Okay…"

"We stop, we think, and we…" Clementine started, finishing the lecture at the same time AJ did. "Breathe."

He took in several deep breaths.

"Feel better?" She asked. AJ returned her concerned gaze with a glare. "You're still mad, huh?"

He looked away, shoulders sagging, like a deflated balloon. It took him a second to turn back around, his angry frown softening. "And, uh," he started, quietly. "I think I'm sad, too."

He approached her as his words dissolved into the air, sitting next to her on the bed. She put an arm around him, pulling him close. Anything to make him feel better. Granted, she knew that it wouldn't help. They were being _kicked out_. Hard to come back from that feeling _okay._

"I did what you told me to," AJ said, mumbling.

"I know," she replied, rubbing his arm. "You're a good listener."

"I wanted to make them all feel better," he said, shaking his head. "It didn't work." His gaze lifted, just enough to look back at her. "Why'd you tell me to do that, if it didn't work?"

The part of that question that uneased her wasn't the fact that he felt defeated, but because of how much it made it seem that his apology had been insincere. It may have been. Still, she answered his question with a slight shrug.

"We don't know that it didn't work," she said. "They might've voted for us to stay."

"I don't know," AJ breathed, his frown deepening. "They seemed _pretty_ mad."

"Violet was one our side. Maybe she'll persuade the others."

Knowing that at least one person in this place had their back was comforting. Their first interactions were… strained, to say the least, but the blonde had started to grow on the baseball-capped girl. She came off as brash, bitter and cold, but there was a sense of warmth there too, one that was hidden behind the guilt and grief she held close to her chest, about the twins. Clementine didn't really blame her, after all, they all carried their grief around like a necklace, one that wouldn't unclasp despite every single effort you threw at it. Some things just never go away.

"Yeah, maybe…" AJ said, trailing off. She knew she wasn't all that convincing, and the fact that Violet hardly had the pull to get everyone on their side. They were both outsiders, in their own ways. "I don't wanna go," he continued, looking towards the ground beyond the edge of the bed, as if expecting something to pop out at him that'd save them from having to leave. Of course, no such luck. She'd be looking, too.

"I know you don't."

"I like knowing where we are all the time. The bed, the food," he explained. "I like the other kids. Not all of them, but Tenn, and Louis, and Violet."

Including Louis in that list felt a bit bizarre, given the boy's treatment of AJ and her since Marlon's death, but she didn't really blame AJ. He still thought about these things in such a… childish way. Not that that was a bad thing, but Clementine had a hard time forgiving him. He knew what Marlon had done, and she understood the fact that the two had been best friends, but treating AJ as if he was a monster? That was where she drew the line. Louis had chosen his side, and made it clear that he didn't want to be friends with _either_ of them.

Still, she wouldn't tell any of that to AJ. He deserved some semblance of innocence, even if it'd be short-lived.

A knock on the door caught her attention, and shortly after, the door opened to reveal the aforementioned boy, and Violet alongside him. The blonde entered the room quietly, looking towards the ground as her hair covered her eyes. She wouldn't even look towards her.

"We took the vote," she said, bitterly. "You have to leave."

Clementine's heart sunk then, deeper into the depths. It was hard enough knowing that they had no chance, but hearing it aloud, the confirmation, it hurt more than anything else.

"Don't we get a vote?" AJ asked, standing up. "I vote that we stay."

Louis placed his hands on his hips, sending an unamused frown towards AJ. "That's not how it works."

Violet turned towards him in an instant, crossing her arms. "Maybe it should be."

"You don't _have_ to like it," he reminded her, which only caused her to huff.

"Good, 'cause I don't."

At this point, Clementine was tired of listening to the bickering. She took a step forward, voice terse. "Fine, I get it. We'll learn to live with your decision, _somehow."_

Violet's gaze snapped towards her so fast, she was surprised the girl wasn't dizzy. "Seriously? That's it? You _know_ this is fucking wrong, and you're not gonna fight it at all?"

"What's the point?" Clementine asked. "You've already decided."

"Yes, we have," Louis was more than ready to say back.

Violet rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth. "So fucking stupid."

"You said you'd go along with it," Louis argued, turning on her. "If we voted fairly."

"It's bullshit," she shot back. "And you'd know if it you weren't so used to burying your head in the sand."

"Oh, I'm burying my head in the sand?" He scoffed, pointing towards AJ. "Hate Marlon all you want, but you can't tell me that AJ isn't dangerous, too."

AJ stared at him in shock, eyes widening. In that moment, even Clementine wanted to punch the asshole out of him; anything to bring him back to that carefree, laid back boy she'd met only a few days ago. Instead, he met AJ's gaze, mouth falling and eyes eventually turning away, guilty. At least he still felt that.

It was Violet who ended up breaking the silence, pushing on. "We'll wait for you to pack up, then Louis and I'll escort you out past the safe zone. We'll make sure you get to the road safely." She paused, sighing. "It's not a lot, but at least you won't die on the way."

Clementine smiled, little by little. At least someone was still treating them like _people._ "Thanks for making sure that we-"

"No, don't thank them!" AJ snapped, his voice shrill as he clenched his fists, glaring towards Louis and Violet. "It-It's their fault we gotta leave! They're gonna get rid of us!"

Louis only looked towards Clementine, like a teacher who was entirely finished with listening to a student's shit. "Get him under control."

She did as she was told, albeit not for Louis. "AJ, breathe," she said, watching as the younger boy glared at Louis for a few more seconds before complying, taking in several deep breaths.

When he'd calmed down, he said, "Where's Tenn? I gotta say goodbye."

"He was really upset about the vote, and he's not talking to anybody," Violet explained, eyes falling. "It's best to leave him alone when he's like this, but… for the record, he wanted you to stay."

That had AJ's mouth tugging upwards, smiling ever so slightly. Of course, the moment wouldn't last, as Louis looked around.

"Wait," he said. "Does AJ still have that gun?"

Begrudgingly, AJ grabbed the pistol from where he'd left it on the bunk bed, holding it as Louis watched him. He held out his hand then, beckoning.

"Hand it over."

"Is this necessary?" Violet asked, incredulous.

"Hell yes, it's necessary. I'm not walking out into the woods with him holding that thing." He turned back towards AJ. "We already know he knows how to use it."

It sounded like they didn't really have a choice.

"Give it to him," Clementine finally told AJ, and he did as he was told, placing the weapon in Louis's hand.

"Here, you can have it."

The dreadlocked boy's eyes fell to it in horror, hands shaking, before he silently muttered "fuck" under his breath. She knew that feeling, of holding a weapon that killed someone she cared about. Only she'd been the one that fired it.

"There, happy?" Violet grumbled. "Can we go?"

Louis didn't reply, which Clementine took as her cue to grab her backpack and get ready to leave. As she adjusted it on her back, her eyes fell on the picture AJ drew the other day.

_Me protekting Clem._

She inhaled, grabbing her hat, then headed for the door. Better to just get this over with. Time was ticking.

* * *

The forest was eerily quiet, like the calm before a storm. Clementine focused on the trail ahead, trying not to dwell on the fact that Louis and Violet were only a few steps behind them, clutching their weapons. Granted, she knew they wouldn't use them against _them,_ but it still made her nervous. Being unarmed usually did, especially after the years she'd spent with a knife glued in her hand. It was usually the only way to stay alive.

The young boy at her side was the total opposite, looking around the forest with a sour, concerned expression. His gaze found her after a moment. "Will we get another car?"

Clementine frowned. "Probably not," she admitted, sighing. "We got lucky before." The ranch filled her thoughts, of burning men and the ones she'd filled with lead, all while trying to get to AJ. That memory was… difficult to think about. She'd killed so many just to get in there, and she knew they were only trying to defend themselves. From who, she still didn't know. Someone worse than her. Someone she'd been glad to avoid. Still, getting that car had helped them survive AJ's toddler years. It'd been hard enough to keep him alive before the New Frontier. Harder still to deal with his moodiness after the ranch.

And she knew it'd only get worse from here, now that they were back on the road.

"So, we're walking…" AJ concluded, face falling. "My shoes are gonna break," he complained, to which Clementine answered with a sharp intake of air.

"Well, we'll have to hope they hold out."

"My feet are gonna bleed again."

"We'll tear up a shirt and tie them up, if we have to."

"It's not so bad," Louis said from behind them, earning a glare from Clementine as she turned her head. He looked away, abashed. "I mean, you've done this before," he continued. "Probably pretty good at it by now. Almost like going home for you guys."

"You've lived inside walls your whole life," she said, venom dripping in her voice. "You have no fucking idea what it's like out there."

He wouldn't meet her gaze, which she didn't really blame him for. She'd been told that her glares could stab right through anyone. The thought made her smile, if only slightly, because of _who'd_ told her that in the first place. _Luke, you'd always been an idiot._

Violet stopped then, looking around. When she was satisfied that they were alone, she spoke up. "We're here. The road's that way," she indicated towards the forest to their right with a tilt of her head, then turned towards Louis. "Anything you wanna say before we go?"

Louis's jaw tightened, shaking his head. "I've said plenty."

_Asshole._

"Thanks for trying to keep us," AJ said, to Violet. She nodded, frowning slightly.

"You're welcome. I wish you could stay." She sighed. "I didn't want this."

"Come on, let's just go," Louis interrupted, receiving glares from everyone surrounding him.

Clementine chose to just ignore him, directing her next words to Violet. "Yeah, so do I. I wish we hadn't fucked it up."

"You didn't, Marlon did," Violet said, bitterly. "Even dead, he's still ruining shit."

"Jesus, Violet," Louis protested. "Give him some fucking peace."

Violet only gave him a partial glance, moving on. Clementine envied her self-control. "Just stay safe," she said. "Both of you." With that out of the way, she turned back towards the school, heading down the trail. Louis remained, his eyes on the ground until he finally spoke up, sighing.

"I must be stupid…" He approached AJ in slow steps, pulling out the pistol he'd taken from the boy earlier. "I can't leave you out here unarmed," he said, dropping to a knee as he held out the pistol towards the boy. AJ grabbed onto it, but Louis pulled back slightly, giving him a hard look. Finally, he let AJ take it, standing up.

Clementine gave him a wary glance. Well, at least he wasn't _all_ asshole. "Thanks," she said, if only out of necessity.

He only nodded, before following Violet down the trail.

Then, it was just the two of them again. It was still agonizingly familiar. Only a few days had passed since they'd gotten to this place, and she was already starting to miss it. Being alone sucked. Not like they had a choice, though. She turned away from the others as they disappeared into the trees, waving AJ forward. "Let's get going," she sighed. "The sun'll set soon."

AJ trodded after her, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly, shrugging. "I can just feel it."

"…How?" was AJ's response, an annoyed tension in his voice. She didn't really blame him, since she didn't really have much of an explanation. It was just a gut feeling, like most things these days.

"There's this cold that settles on my skin," she said, eyes trailing after him as he tried to keep pace with her. "It happens right before a storm, too."

He looked around, as if expecting that sensation to wash over him. After a moment, he said, "I don't feel that."

"Hm," she chuckled slightly, a knowing smile pursing her lips. "You haven't been on the road as long as me."

They continued in silence for a few more minutes. The scenery hardly changed, just more and more trees that stretched on seemingly for miles. With the orange glow permeating the woods, she knew they didn't have that long to find shelter before night fell. The temperature would drop, and with the moisture in the air, she had a feeling that the cold would be the least of their problems.

"Clem?" AJ called out to her, and she met his gaze with a raised eyebrow.

"Hm?"

"Will we be okay?" He asked. "I thought we were done running from all the bad people. And the monsters."

She hated that she didn't really have a good answer in mind. With how desperate their situation was looking, it's more likely they'd spend the night out in the open, soaked through. Hypothermia was a problem to think about, and that wasn't even including the threat of walkers. Overall, they were in a pretty _shitty_ spot.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I'll do everything to keep you safe."

"I'll keep you safe, too," he replied, trying his best to smile. _On that, I know, kiddo._

A gunshot pierced the air, echoing through the forest in a deafening wave. Clementine knew the sound: a shotgun. Beefier than anything they had on them. She instinctively ducked, pulling AJ close, her back colliding with the nearest tree for cover. She chanced a peek from behind it, catching a glimpse of a man holding a sawed-off shotgun, and missing half an arm.

"Now, come on out! I saw a couple of you on the road. How long you think you can hide?!"

* * *

The trail grew cold. Dom had eventually found himself following a stream north, to a small cabin built at the end of a trail. An old fishing shack, it seemed. There, he mustered up enough energy for another peer-back, catching the tail end of a conversation between the same two girls he'd seen at the train station.

Talking about another girl. Then about the twins. That part caught his attention; he narrowed his eyes. Sophie and Minerva. So that was Violet, then. The blonde that Minerva had mentioned quite often. The girlfriend. Eventually, they met up with the boy with the afro again, and headed back with a third girl, one who's voice he absolutely recognized. The girl that Marlon protected.

_We're getting close,_ he thought to himself, watching as they headed back down the trail. Towards the school, he hoped, but he hadn't the energy to keep going. It was pushing midnight by then, so he headed back to the train station, then back towards the boat. He'd been gone long enough.

The next morning, they convened on the pier, talking strategy. To Steve's annoyance, Dom had suggested that it should just be him and Abel again, since they'd been the ones to approach Marlon the first time. Adding new faces would only 'cause the boy to act out, maybe even fight back, which would only make this harder.

And with tensions as high as they were between him and the rest of his crew on the boat, it was a conflict he wasn't prepared to deal with. He needed them to follow him, not question everything he said when shit inevitably hit the fan. So this was going to be his chance to prove himself, to reel in a whole group of able-bodied survivors to fight this war.

Maybe then, they won't need child soldiers anymore. Maybe they can go back to being the good guys, let their community prosper.

And as he walked through those woods with Abel by his side, he found himself wishing that they were already there, at that peaceful dream. This thing had been raging for so long, the life he had before just felt like a blur. Three years… _Jesus_, had it really been that long?

They'd been scraping by on scraps for five years before that, met other survivors, only to watch them die, leave, or get separated by whatever deadly force happened on them next. It was like the world _wanted _them to be alone, maybe to quicken their end, but that never came. Instead, the Delta gave them _real_ food, and beds, and those five years became nothing but a bad memory.

Voices began to fade in, somewhere in the distance. Dom gestured for Abel to split off from him, and circle around to the left to find the kids, while he flanked from the right, in case they tried anything.

His heartbeat thrummed in his ears, despite his best efforts to remain calm. He knew that these kids didn't really pose a threat, but a lot could change in a year, and without a visual, they had no idea how many of them were out there. Best to stay cautious.

From his position deep in a thicket of trees, Abel's shotgun rang out through the forest, followed by the distant echo of his voice. All Dom had to do was wait for a signal, get eyes on, and strike. This may just end up being their ticket to getting in that school after all.

A brief silence filled the air, before a grunt caught his attention, followed by the sounds of a scuffle.

His feet carried him through the trees at a pace that'd probably end with him sprawling on the ground at any second, though he just barely managed to keep that from happening. Within a small clearing ahead, the girl he'd heard before held out a knife towards Abel as he attempted to push himself back to his feet.

"Just walk away, and we'll-" She was saying as Dom closed the gap between them, placing the barrel of his rifle against the back of her baseball-capped head.

"Drop it." The words were low, angry, and she begrudgingly did as she was told, the knife falling to the forest floor with a faint clatter. She raised her hands into the air while Abel finally managed to stand up. He smiled towards Dom as he sent a fist into the girl's gut, while the younger man kicked in her leg, forcing her to the ground.

At least the threat was dealt with.

She reached for her knife, just barely out of her reach, and Abel kicked it away, shaking his head disapprovingly. Dom pressed his boot into the back of her neck, making sure she couldn't move any more. She was looking towards something, and they followed her gaze, towards the face of a young boy, holding a gun towards them. The afro boy, Dom smiled. He rushed towards them, but Abel lifted his shotgun, and he thankfully stopped.

"I wouldn't, boy," Abel growled. "Any closer, your friend might get her head blown off."

"Just grab him," Dom said, hoping that would be the end of it. The quicker they got this done, the quicker they can get to the school.

Abel did as he was told, approaching the boy. "Good to see you again, squirt," he smiled, knocking the boy to the ground with his shotgun.

"Don't!" The girl yelled, angry, and Dom rewarded her by tightening his boot against her neck. Abel yanked the boy back to his feet, looking towards Dominic.

"I seen these ones before," he said, smiling. "Fighters, both of them. You'll like 'em."

Well, at least that was something. He didn't really… like the idea of using the boy as a soldier, but he couldn't afford to get picky. Not with a group like this. Not with an enemy like _them._

"We're looking for a kid," Dom stated, towards the girl. "He runs a community near here. I'm sure you know him."

"Marlon," Abel clarified.

The girl grunted under the weight of his boot, squirming. "He's dead," she breathed.

He hadn't been expecting that answer. "Fuck…" Dom muttered, shaking his head. What were they supposed to do now? Without Marlon, they had no idea how these kids were going to respond to them. Their new leader probably wasn't as… pliable.

"This can still work," Abel said, though he found himself doubting it. Still, it was worth trying, right? What did they have to lose? Besides his position, if they failed.

He looked towards the girl again, releasing pressure little by little off her neck. "I can cut you a deal, kid. You take us back to your school, help us talk to your friends, and we handle this civilly. Sound cool? Not like you got a lot of options, anyway."

"It's not my school," the girl grunted. "I don't live there."

_Well, guess we're doing this the hard way, then._ He pushed down again, harder than before. She let out a gasp, holding back pained whimpers. "Look, kid, there ain't exactly a lot of places out here. I've seen you with them."

That seemed to take her by surprise, but he had a feeling she thought that he'd seen her with her friends just before they'd split up. Definitely more than two voices.

Abel twisted the boy's arm behind his back, who let out a yelp. That seemed to catch the girl's attention.

"Don't! Let him go! Please!"

"Sure, if you do like we ask," Abel said, applying even more pressure to the boy's arm. "Otherwise, I'm happy to crack his head open. You ever seen old fruit explode after you throw something at it? That's just how it'll look."

A bit more verbose than Dom would've wanted, but he hoped it'd get the job done. He let go of her neck, kicking her over as he aimed the rifle in her face. The familiarity of her face went over his head, although the name that the boy shrieked out hit him like a brick wall. "Clementine!"

In that instant, both of them stared at each other with wide eyes, his rifle lowering as he let out a breath. "Holy shit…"

Memories came flooding back, of days spent moving from place to place, of knowledge that plagued him for years, and a young girl that he'd sworn to protect at all cost. That same girl that he'd last seen years ago, the eleven year old that left him in the snow after he forced her to kill Kenny, that raging asshole that he was. Those same golden eyes met his gaze now, and the same hat that he kicked himself for not recognizing earlier. She was older now, unrecognizable, but also unmistakably Clementine.

Whether she had recognized him or not, he wasn't sure, but he lowered the rifle the rest of the way nonetheless. "Clementine, I haven't… I thought… Jesus, it's been a while. It's me, Dominic…"

The sparkle in her eyes told him that the realization finally did dawn on her. "Dom…?" Her voice was one of confusion, shock. Whether she was happy to see him or not, he couldn't tell. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't. They didn't exactly leave each other on the best of terms…

He held out a hand to help her up, which she cautiously accepted as Abel stared at them, dumbfounded.

"The fuck is this?"

"Not now," Dom said, giving him a cursory glare. The man's frown lines deepened, and he begrudgingly loosened his grip on the boy's arm.

"Is this AJ?" He asked Clem, kneeling in front of the boy as he looked over him with a raised eyebrow and an amused expression. Holy shit, that kid had grown up. _"Man,_ I haven't seen you since you were like… two days old." The boy stared back at him with a frightened expression. Of course he wouldn't remember him. He'd be surprised if AJ remembered anyone from that old group besides Clementine. "You've done well," he said to Clementine. "Keeping him alive this long. I'm impressed."

"Wasn't exactly easy," she deadpanned, crossing her arms over her chest. Still defensive. Guess he should've expected that. He stood up, slinging his rifle over his shoulder.

"Fuck, we don't have time for all this," Abel growled, which only earned him a glare from Dominic.

"We've got history," he shot back curtly.

"Great, you know her, I know her. Point is, we've got a job to do."

Dom sighed. Of course Abel was right, but that didn't mean he wasn't happy to see Clementine again. After this long, he'd given up hope that she'd survived, but the girl had proven him wrong. Again. _Fighters, both of them. You'll like 'em._ Well, Abel wasn't wrong.

"We can give you a safe place to live, Clem," Dom offered, his smile falling as things went back to business. The unfortunate part of his job. "But, we need you to do something for us."

"What?" Clementine scoffed. "Help you kidnap a couple more kids?"

_Ouch. _He frowned, listening as Abel answered for him. "We don't need a couple. We need _all_ of you."

"We'll take you back to the Delta to join our group," Dom added. "We have walls, working solar panels, the whole nine yards. All we need from you is to go back and convince your friends to come peacefully."

Clementine shook her head immediately. "I'm not Marlon." _Yeah, we both know that. You're not nearly as weak._

Abel twisted AJ's arm, causing both Clementine and Dominic to glare at him. "Here's what I'll do," he said, ignoring them. "I'll take the little squirt here right now. That way, I'm sure you'll place nice." It wasn't a bad idea, honestly. Clementine had to work with them, one way or another. It was the only way they'd get this job finished _and_ give the girl a place to call home that's _**safe**_. He wasn't about to let her go again.

"Be smart about this, Clem," Dom said, hoping to get through to her. "You're all safer with us. The world's getting worse every year, and sticking together is the only way we're staying alive."

Something had caught Clementine's attention, behind them, and she called out to whoever was out there with a panicked "Run!"

Dom swiveled, raising his rifle instinctively as Abel threw AJ to the ground, doing the same. Clementine called out the boy's name, before a sharp pain stabbed his leg, from where the younger girl kicked it in. He fell to the ground, letting go of his rifle to catch himself. Cursing, he pushed himself to his feet, watching as Abel gave chase before stumbling after them.

"I want them alive!" He shouted, clutching his rifle with one hand. Like it or not, they were coming back with him. He wasn't failing her again.

* * *

Clementine's breath came in ragged ins and outs, altogether too focused on getting the fuck out of there to bother with how fucking terrifying this situation had been. Seeing Dominic again… it filled her with both relief and dread, knowing just what he was capable of, the things she'd _seen_ him do to people. The same things she'd done, too, but for entirely different reasons.

She could hear them behind her, chasing, and the explosive boom of the shotgun being fired at them. Shrapnel meeting flesh reached her ears, and she saw AJ stumble, pulling him back onto his feet. They jumped over a log, hoping that it'd slow them down enough for them to make an escape, but ultimately Dominic and the other guy kept up with them. Crawling through the middle of a rock, Clementine veered left, through the trees, as Abel's shotgun blasts filled the air behind her. Another log stood in her path, and she vaulted over it, coming face to face with a horde of walkers, who turned and growled at her with hungry eyes.

"Oh, shit…!"

She dodged a lunge from one of the walkers, falling to the ground. Picking herself back up, she weaved through the horde, looking back to watch as Dom and his friend got distracted trying to keep the walkers off themselves.

"I think we lost them," she breathed, hoping AJ was nearby to hear her, though she was met with a taller figure, who grappled her, growling. "Oh, shit!"

Wrestling with the walker, she kicked it in the knee, bringing it to the ground, then kicking it in the face. It fell to the ground with a thud, trying to pull itself back up.

"Clem!" AJ's voice had her running towards it, finding him lying against a tree, clutching his stomach. Blood seeped through his shirt, and he winced and gasped. It looked _bad,_ and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to carry him out of here, as more walkers began to stumble their way into the clearing. _Fuck… fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck…!_

AJ held out his knife for her to take, and she immediately accepted it, clutching it tightly. The first walker was separated from the rest, and she brought it to the ground with a swift kick to its leg, stabbing the knife through the top of its skull. As it fell to the ground, the next two approached as a pair, and she brought one to its knees before stabbing the other through the eye, killing it, then pulled the knife out to stab the other through the temple. Another wave came through before she had a chance to catch her breath, lifting the knife once more as one stumbled towards her, faster than the others. She readied herself, lunging just as-

The walker grabbed her arm, holding the knife away from it, placing its other hand over her mouth before whispering, "No." She had to be dead. The very shock from hearing the walker speak had her screaming into its hand, and it shook its head, continuing in a strained voice, "Too loud."

She held her breath, staring back at the walker, only then realizing that normal skin was visible where the mouth was, and around the eyes. They weren't milky, either, like normal walker eyes. These stared back at her intensely, pleading with her to calm down, which she eventually did. It was a boy…

The 'walker' let her go, starting to stumble away, towards a rock. As the other walkers began to fill the clearing, she ran for the nearest tree, hiding behind it. The boy threw the rock, and it collided with a tree in the distance, the clap it made echoing out. The real walkers turned towards the noise, growling, then stumbled away. Once the coast was clear, she turned her attention back to the boy, who stood in the clearing, hunched over like the rest of the walkers.

His voice barely carried to her. "Follow."

_This is crazy. I've gotta be crazy._ She rushed towards where AJ was slumped against the tree, lifting him into her arms. The boy began to walk away, and she followed him timidly.

When she'd thought this day couldn't get any weirder, or worse, a boy wearing walker skin had shown up to save her. Right now, with the shape AJ was in, she wasn't going to complain.

The only thing that mattered was saving him. Dominic, walkers, and weirdos in the forest be damned.

* * *

They'd lost them. Dominic cursed foully, bitterly, kicking a rock across the clearing, though it didn't make it very far, colliding with a dead walker with a faint _thump._ Clementine was their ticket to getting to that school, he knew it, and she'd slipped through their fingers expertly. Given how long she'd survived, seemingly on her own, it wasn't all that surprising. As the forest grew silent, Abel huffing as he cleaned the blood off his shotgun on some walker's t-shirt, Dom stumbled forward, taking in a sharp breath.

"I'm going after them."

Abel snorted. "The hell you are," his gravelly voice filled the air as he pushed himself back to his feet. "That girl's a fucking nuisance. Let her go back. We'll beat down their door with enough men to take 'em all."

"We still don't know where their school's at," Dominic replied, grabbing his rifle from the ground and slinging it over his shoulder. "You don't know her like I do, I can still get through to her."

"_**I**_ know that you haven't seen her since she was a little fuckin' squirt," Abel said, opening his shotgun to pop in a few fresh shells. "You'll be lucky if they just shoot you on sight."

Maybe he was right, but he still had to try. Whether things ended badly between them or not, Clementine meant a lot to him. Everything he'd done, including goading Kenny into a fight, had been to protect her. He hoped that she could see that now. Granted, the way his leg complained as he walked the clearing, he didn't think so. It was a hell of a kick.

"Look, I'm going," he finally said, sternly. "Head back to the boat. Tell the others to give me until midday to get back. If I don't, head back to the Delta, get more men." He stepped over another dead walker, approaching the edge of the clearing. "And tell Steve to bring Chloe, we'll need her."

Abel grumbled under his breath, but ultimately nodded, watching as Dominic disappeared into the forest.


End file.
